Aussicht des allgemeinen Krankenhauses/ Vue de l’Hopital General a Vienne
[View of the General Hospital of Vienna]

Collection of bird’s-eye perspective views showing important buildings and the surrounding landscape in late 18th century Vienna, Austria, along with pedestrians, horseback riders and carriages in the streets. The work was titled in German and French.Schütz and Ziegler’s Vienna engravings are considered important historical works and they were cited as among the “masters of the Viennese Vedute” by Walter Koschatzky, former director of the Albertina Museum in Vienna. The print of the Josephinische Academie is also in the collection of the Institute for the History of Medicine at the University of Vienna. Other examples from the Vienna series are in the Historical Museum of the City of Vienna.

The Josephs-Akademie pictured in one of the prints was founded in 1785 by Emperor Joseph II to raise the scientific level of surgical training in Central Europe. Until the mid 18th century, surgery had been more of a craft than a science.

Carl (or Karl) Schütz and Johann Ziegler began their well-known series of large copperplate views of Vienna around the year 1780. The views were based on their watercolor paintings, and by 1799 were being published by the Viennese firm of Artaria & Company. The popular series remained in print in various compilations for at least fifty years thereafter, sometimes with re-engraving and new text applied to older plates to adapt them to the tastes of the time. Over time numerous new plates were added from beyond Vienna and its surroundings, including views from upper Austria, Salzburg, Tirol, the Steiermark, Hungary, Bohemia, Switzerland, Italy and the Rhine country.

Joseph and Peter Schaffer were Austrian draftsmen and engravers working in Vienna, as well as brothers and collaborators. Together they engraved views and genre scenes.

Condition: Generally very good with the usual light overall toning, wear, soft creases. Some with tape residue from former mounting in upper margins, easily matted out. Some with residue from former mounting on back.